Lessons From Second Life
Are metaverse communities a fad -- or the future?
Are metaverse communities a fad -- or the future?
Is Second Life today’s hottest emerging media fad or the future of online communities and experience?
I’ve been asked this question a lot over the past year as Second Life increasingly graces the covers of mainstream magazines and conference room whiteboards of communication agencies. While multiuser, networked platforms have a long, deep history, Second Life has become the poster child of multiuser, Internet-enabled environments because of its no-cost entry, universal access, nonlinear user experience, and multiplatform availability.
Sounds a bit like how people talked about the Web in 1995, doesn’t it?
One thing’s for sure. Second Life is going strong, with a community of over 4.8 million citizens and growing. Although there’s been a lot of chatter in the blogosphere about actual (or repeat) users versus registered users, Second Life provides us with a glimpse into the future of networked communities.
Kids Are Getting Into the Act
The booming success of Club Penguin is a sure indicator metaverses (define) have appeal beyond early adopters. But don’t go to ClubPenguin.com by yourself. Go with an 8-year-old power user and watch carefully. Social networking is a natural experience for kids as they learn to network, play games, earn coins, and budget their spending. And the recent launch of Nicktropolis only emphasizes that they’re very comfortable with multiuser environment platforms.
Social Networks Affect the Web As We Know It
Though I can’t predict the future, I can make a few educated guesses about what really works in Second Life and what’s likely to influence the future of online communities from content and navigation perspectives. In addition, I’ll provide an example of new platforms that might have been influenced by Second Life’s success.
What really works and what might have influenced it:
The media like to talk about UGC in the form of YouTube videos and blog postings and comments, but UGC is the least talked about (but most important) part of Second Life. Users don’t create a piece of content to stick in a public system and hope they’re viewed, rated, or commented on. These users are working with complicated tools to create environments, experiences, avatars, artifacts, clothing, vehicles, terrain, and more. This behavior, often considered a form of Second Life entertainment itself, provides a glimpse into the future of UGC.
Sony recently announced its “Home” service for the PlayStation 3. To link members of its online network, PlayStation is taking a metaverse approach and building a multiuser environment users can explore and meet up with friends and other players. Additionally, the Home service will allow users to customize their own home that stores game rewards and artifacts collected across the network.
What Do These Things Mean for You?
It means if you plan on participating in Second Life or other metaverses, you should keep these ideas in mind. Ask yourself the following:
Look for confident brands to take full advantage of these trends. Give them some thought, and let’s keep the dialogue going.
Meet Chad at Search Engine Strategies April 10-13 at the Hilton New York in New York City.